Matilda the Musical

Book now! It is fabulous! http://www.sydneyartsguide.com.au/matilda-at-lyric-theatre-the-star/ One of Sydney’s major musicals for the year, MATILDA has impressively taken over the stage at the Lyric Theatre at the Star. This is a bold and colourful, in parts cartoon like and then at other times quite dark and poignant production. The large ensemble perform with enormous relish and gusto. It is a re-mounting of the multi-award winning Royal Shakespeare Company production currently playing in London and is based on the much loved Roald Dahl book with music by Tim Minchin. The school is presented as Dotheboys Hall like, with old fashioned desks and huge towering Victorian front gates that the cast climb and rattle. The set also has piles of books and alphabet blocks. There is also a wonderful, exuberant swing sequence for the schoolchildren opening Act 2 When I Grow Up – some of the cast seem to fly out over the audience. There are masses of special theatrical effects, strobe and Star Wars/James Bond like lighting and lots of scenery flying in and out, sometimes shifted by the cast. Puppetry is also featured. The ensemble, both children (there are four casts of children) and adults are magnificent and SO full of breathless energy. The choreography is an amalgamation of various dance styles including showbiz, rap, U-tube musical, Latin –American ballroom and possible hints of Balanchine – very tightly choreographed and performed with great pizzazz. Matilda is a very bright prodigy of a little girl, unloved and unwanted by her horrid parents, who loves books. We see how she survives school and develops unexpected powers to help others. Also running throughout the show is Matilda’s imaginary tale of The Acrobat and the Escapologist which she shares with Mrs Phelps and which turns out to have links to Matilda’s real life as well as revealing her longing for love. We see her uncaring horrible parents. Her mother, Mrs Wormwood is hard, bold and brash, with a Latino lover /dance teacher Rudolpho, played by Travis Khan. She is terrifically played by Marika Aubrey who brings the house down with the exuberant Loud (With shades of Tina Sparkle and ‘Strictly Ballroom’) Her father, Mr Wormwood, a sleazy second hand car dealer, is delightfully played by Daniel Frederiksen, who dresses in appallingly bad taste and whose hair is in the style of an escapee from the bar in Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake. He is self centred and continually refers to Matilda as a boy, if he condescends to think of her at all. Both parents delight in making Matilda’s life miserable and despise her reading. Her sloppy brother Michael was played by Daniel Raso. Don’t be out too long at interval or you will miss the Telly sequence underlining his superficiality. Perhaps rather plain and mousy, yet Meryl Streep like Miss Jennifer Honey,Matilda’s teacher, is tremendously played by Elise McCann. Warm and caring she is a terrific teacher yet dominated overruled and controlled by the appalling headmistress, Miss Trunchbull (who turns out to be her aunt). Miss Honey gathers her courage and turns defiantly on Miss Trunchbull with help from Matilda. Her song in the second half My House was superb and very touching. Miss Honey acts as a calm, concerned, balancing focus for the scary events in Matilda’s life. Georgia Taplin was extraordinary in the title role. What a talent! She sang, acted and danced up a storm; at times naughty and mischievous, and at others heartbreaking. She carries the show magnificently. The major ogre of the piece, the towering fearsome Miss Trunchbull, headmistress of the school, English hammer throwing champion in 1969 , is played with wicked glee by James Millar in a khaki outfit with huge shoulder pads. She is played as part panto villain, part Miss Andrews from Mary Poppins, part over the top Richard 111/World War 11 villain. Petrifying! Her huge number in Act 2, The Smell of Rebellion brought the house down. Mention must also be made of the charming librarian Mrs Phelps who also encourages Matilda and listens to her stories, delightfully played by Cle Morgan . Gleefully anarchic and joyous, this is a marvellous show suitable for all ages. Running time 2 hours 40 mins including one interval MATILDA is currently playing the Lyric Theatre at the Star and is presently selling through until the 6th December.